Transfer Credits – Q&A

What is Transfer Credit?

Transfer Credit is the University’s recognition of prior education courses. Courses that have been
transferred are not counted towards your Grade Point Average (GPA) at UoPeople.

How does it work?

a. Students must complete and submit an online application for transfer credit, including
all materials and required documentation.
b. The credits will be officially approved and transfer into the student’s transcript only
once the student has completed at least one degree course at UoPeople and only after
paying an Evaluation Fee of $17 per accepted course.
c. Once transferred courses are accepted at UoPeople, they must be paid for before the
following course registration period starts.
d. Students who fail to pay the Evaluation Fee within the required timeframe as described
in C above, will be assumed to have declined the offer of transferring their credit, and
their Transfer Credit Application will therefore be closed.

Which course credits can I transfer over to UoPeople?

Please be aware that you cannot be certain that any course will be transferred until you receive an
answer from the Transfer Credit Office. To avoid frustration, please do not make any assumptions
on which course may be transferred until you receive a response from the Transfer Credit Office.
UoPeople will consider accepting transfer credits for a course when the course content is
equivalent to that of a UoPeople course, or when the course may be used towards an elective
credit within a UoPeople degree program. Please see the full requirements as described in our
policy .

What about transferring credits to other universities?

The transferability of credits and acceptance of a UoPeople degree, as with any other higher
academic program, are at the complete discretion of the institution to which a student may seek
to transfer. If the credits or degree that a student earns at this institution are not accepted at the
institution to which the student seeks to transfer, the individual may be required to repeat some
or all of the course work at that institution. For this reason, students should make certain that their
attendance at UoPeople will meet their educational goals. This may include contacting an

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institution to which they may seek to transfer to before attending University of the People to
determine if the courses and/or degree will transfer.

Can I transfer credits from any institution to UoPeople?

UoPeople is now accepting credits from any accredited university or college within the United
States. We also accept transfer credits from universities outside of the United States however,
these courses are required to go through a review process managed by an established foreign
evaluation service. UoPeople is also happily accepting transfer credits from Advance Placement
(AP) courses and credits evaluated by ACE, including CLEP results.

Which foreign evaluation agencies do UoPeople accept transcript evaluations from?

Any provider on the list of NACES (National Association of Credential Evaluation Services),
including:
• World Education Services (WES - [Link])
• Foreign Credential Services of America (FCSA - [Link]
• International Education Research Foundation (IERF - [Link]

To view the full list of members: [Link]

What is an accredited university?

In the United States an accredited university is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as
an institution that has been approved by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
You can check here to confirm if your institution is recognized as an accredited university by the
U.S. Department of Education.

If I have credits from college, can I transfer them to UoPeople?

Yes, as long as it’s recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accredited academic
institution, upon review and evaluation by the Office of Transfer Credit.

When will I get an answer about my transfer credit request?

It’s hard to say as this can be a complicated process and it depends on the specific case. We will
do our best to give you answers before the next registration period opens, even though we
cannot guarantee it.

Should I stop studying until I receive an answer?

Please be aware that you cannot assume any of your courses are recognized until you receive the
notification. We strongly recommend you not to change anything within your studies before you
get an answer from us concerning your evaluation. You should wait and see which of your courses
get approved by our Office of Transfer Credits. Any change you make at this point may impact
your studies and the time until graduation. Do not reduce your number of registrations until you
have answers!
If I transfer a course (from a previous university) that I failed at UoPeople, what happens?
Both courses will appear on your transcript, but your Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA) will
be affected by your F grade at UoPeople.

If I transfer a course (from a previous university) that I failed, what happens?

We will only accept credits for courses with a C level grade and above. If you received below a C
level grade in a course, you cannot transfer it.

Now that you accept transfer credits, can I skip some Foundation courses?
Transfer credit students are required to complete the Foundation courses requirement, as stated
in the University Catalog at the time the student was accepted. Regardless, kindly notice that
Online Education Strategies (UNIV 1001) is a non-transferrable course, therefore all students must
complete it in order to become a Degree Seeking Student.

Are there UoPeople courses you cannot transfer credits to?

Yes, Online Education Strategies (UNIV 1001) and English Composition 1 that is required for those
who need to prove English proficiency.

Do I need to pay for transfer credits?

Yes. There is no connection between the other processing fees at the University and the
Evaluation Fee. It is a very expensive undertaking for the University to review transfer credit
applications. Being a tuition-free university, we do not have the resources to absorb these costs
through other fees, and, as such, we are asking our students to pay 17$ per accepted course to
cover the evaluation cost.

How much does it cost?

Asking for credit evaluation does not cost money. Only if and when your transfer credit request is
approved, you will be asked to pay an evaluation fee of $17 per accepted course to cover the
evaluation costs. You may choose not to pay at that time if you decide not to transfer the credit.
For those who cannot afford the fee, we may have grants available.

How can I pay?

You may pay the Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee in all accepted payment methods at UoPeople,
besides wire transfer. Including:

PayPal – Transfer the money via your account to payments@[Link] - this is the
ideal and simpler way to make the payment.

Other, offline, methods which may delay the process:

• Western Union – If you wish to pay your Transfer Credit Processing fee via Western
Union, please visit their website at:
[Link]
 Once you have located the nearest agent to you, the payment should be submitted
in full to Western Union, who will then transfer the money to the University.
Please make sure the payment is being processed as “person to organization” and
as a quick pay. After submitting a payment, the student should proceed by emailing
payments@[Link] with the MTCN number and slip.

• Money Gram - If you wish to pay your Transfer Credit Processing Fee via Money
Gram, please visit their website at: [Link]
On this site, please select your country and follow the instructions for sending
money from a Money Gram agent in your location.
Please be aware that this is not done through your bank, but rather through a
Money Gram agent. You will be able to find a Money Gram agent location near you
through the website we have provided above.

• Cashier's Check - A cashier's check is a check prepared by your bank to University of

the People, and then you will need to send it to the Office in Pasadena.

Is the Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee refundable?

The Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee is non-refundable since it is paid only once the evaluation is
completed.

Why does it cost money to transfer credits?

UoPeople is a tuition-free university and as such, University of the People does not charge
students for their educational instruction, course materials, or annual enrollment. It does however,
charge modest fees to help maintain our tuition-free online degree structure. It is a very expensive
undertaking for the university to review transfer credit. Being tuition-free, we do not have the
resources to absorb these costs through other fees, and as such, if and when your transfer credit
request is approved, you will be asked to pay an evaluation fee of $17 per accepted course to
cover the evaluation costs. The transfer credit fee covers the expense for the UoPeople staff to
perform the evaluation of the transfer course. You may choose not to pay at that time if you
decide not to transfer the credit. For those who cannot afford the fee, we may have grants
available.

I cannot afford to pay the evaluation fee. Do you have grants or scholarships for that?
Yes, there are grants which may be available for unique cases. If you cannot afford UoPeople’s
Transfer Credit Evaluation Fee, please contact your Program Advisor.

If the Office of Transfer Credits decides to accept my transfer credits application but I already
completed the course(s) at UoPeople, will I get a refund for the Exam Processing Fees I have paid?
No, the payment for the completed course(s) went toward your Exam Processing Fee, and the
University already processed your exam(s).
If I want to transfer only a few courses out of all the ones I originally requested, can I choose them
after the decision has already been made by the Office of Transfer Credits?
No, once you submit an evaluation request, the entire application will be reviewed and the answer
(and fees) will be for all approved courses together. You can always cancel your request and
submit another one later on, but in order to avoid delays we strongly recommended you submit a
request only after you have decided.

If I change programs later, will it impact the transfer credit decision?

Once your application for a transfer credit is submitted, it will be evaluated according to your
current degree program / requested degree program requirements. If you will change programs
later, you may need to reapply for transfer credit, including paying the Evaluation Fee again for
courses that were not included in the original transfer credit evaluation, and it may be that a
specific transferred course will not be applicable anymore to satisfy a program requirement. Kindly
notice that there are no refunds available in such cases.

Will it reflect on my Degree Audit? When?

Yes, once your transfer credit will be approved and the processing fee will be paid, the courses will
transfer onto your UoPeople transcript. You will then be able to see the courses in the Degree
Audit Tool available for students on the Student Portal. This may take a few weeks after your
transfer will be approved.

Can I apply to transfer credit later?

You may apply to transfer credit at any point during your studies at UoPeople. Just make sure you
have the proof of the course completion. Notice that once your transfer request is approved, you
will need to complete the payment for it before the following registration period opens. Students
who fail to pay the Evaluation Fee within the required timeframe, will be assumed to have declined
the offer of transfer credit, and their Transfer Credit Application will be closed.

Is there a payment deadline once the transfer credit decision is made?

Yes, once your transfer request is approved you will need to complete the payment before the
following registration period opens in order for the transferred course to be considered as a
completed course in your program requirements. So, if your request is approved during Week 6 of
Term 1, you will need to pay for it by Week 5 of the following term (Term 2). If your request is
approved during Week 1 of Term 3, you will need to pay the fee by Week 5 of the following term
(Term 4). Students who fail to pay the Evaluation Fee within the required timeframe, will be
assumed to have declined the offer of transfer credit and their Transfer Credit Application will be
closed.

Can I transfer credits for proctored courses?

Yes, UoPeople will accept transfer credits for UoPeople courses with proctored exams and you will
only need to complete the remaining proctored courses as required by the catalog at the time.
Can I transfer credits from other online universities?
Sure, as long as it’s accredited!

Can I transfer credits from a regionally accredited university?

Sure, as long as it’s recognized by the U.S. Department of Education as an accredited university –
it doesn’t matter if it’s a regional or national accreditation.

Will the transfer credit course be reflected on my transcript?

Yes, all approved (and paid) transfer credits will appear on your UoPeople transcript, without the
letter grade. The courses will appear on the transcript only after completing one course as a
Degree Seeking Student at UoPeople.

Will the grades from my transfer credit course be calculated in my CGPA/GPA?

No, all approved (and paid) transfer credits will appear on your UoPeople transcript without the
letter grade.

Will I be able to graduate faster?

Yes! For every course you transfer, you have one less course to take at UoPeople in order to
graduate!

Is there a limitation to the amount of credits I can transfer?

Yes, UoPeople may recognize 50 percent of the credits required for an undergraduate degree
program (exceptions may be made in special cases to a maximum of 75 percent) and a maximum
of 50 percent for a graduate degree program. UoPeople will apply no more than 45 transfer
credits towards the completion of an associate’s degree, no more than 90 credits towards the
completion of a bachelor's degree, and no more than 18 credits towards the completion of a
master’s degree.

Can I transfer credits if I study toward an associate degree?

Yes!

Can I transfer credits if I study toward a bachelor’s degree?

Yes!

Can I transfer credits if I study toward a master’s degree?

Yes!

Where can I find more information?

On our website: [Link], the Student Portal, or your Program Advisor!

Which office is responsible for the evaluation?

The Transfer Credit Office ([Link]@[Link])
Why do I need to fill in a form, and not just submit my transcript?
This is the process we have decided on as we believe it is the best way.

If I just submit my transcript, will you evaluate it?

No, if you don’t fill out an “Application for Transfer Credit Form” we won’t be able to process your
request.

If I submitted my transcript in the past, do I need to send it again?

Yes, we believe it will be best if you send us the relevant transcript you want us to look at when
reviewing your transfer request.

If I have more questions, who should I approach?

Your Program Advisor, but first check our website, [Link], or the Student Portal.

Who will send me the evaluation results?

The Transfer Credit Office

Where should I send my transcript?

Please upload it here: [Link]

Can I submit more than one request?

No. You will not be able to submit additional applications until the current/latest application is
closed. Make sure you include all the courses you would like to submit for evaluation.

Can I edit my request after I submit it?

No. Do not submit your request unless you have filled in all the courses you would like to have
evaluated. You will not be able to edit or submit additional courses once you have submitted your
application.

If I have more than one transcript, should I apply with them both in one application?
Yes. Because you will not be able to submit additional applications, please make sure to submit all
courses from all transcripts in the ONE application.

When does it start?

The opportunity is open to enrolled students from May 15, 2017.

Who is eligible to transfer their credits?

All students are able to transfer credits, subject to certain criteria.

How can I apply? / Where can I submit my request?

Students who are already enrolled at UoPeople will be able to submit their request through the
Student Portal.

I cannot provide transcripts because I’m a refugee – what can I do?

We cannot accept transfer credit requests from non-American institutions without a third party
evaluation, and without a proof of course completion, this will unfortunately not be possible to
do.

Should I register for courses for next term or should I wait until I receive the transfer credit
decision from the Office of Transfer Credits?
We strongly recommend that you continue your studies as usual and not change your future
registrations before you get an answer on your evaluation. Any change you will make at this point
may impact your studies and your time to graduation. You may want to replace courses for which
you can get transfer credits for, but do not reduce your number of registrations until you have
answers!

Do you accept transfer credits from a master-level or higher for the undergraduate level?
Yes, UoPeople accepts all official post-secondary credentials for transfer credit: associate,
bachelor's, and master's degree programs.

Do you accept transfer credits from vocational courses?

No, and we also don’t accept transfer credits from experiential learning for credits or continuing
education units.

Do you accept transfer credits on behalf of a military service/professional experiences?

No, and we also don’t accept transfer credits from vocational courses, experiential learning for
credits, or continuing education units.

Does the name of the transfer credit course need to be identical to the name of the course offered
by UoPeople?
No

Does the number of credits needs to be identical to UoPeople’s?

No. There is a process to evaluate the number of credits depending on the credit hour system and
the Office of Transfer Credit will make the relevant calculations and decide on the number of
credits your transferred course will translate into.

How does the Office of Transfer Credits make their decisions?

Once a student has submitted all necessary documentation for a credit transfer, the Office of
Transfer Credits at UoPeople will review the information provided to decide if the credits are
applicable and transferrable. In order to determine if a course is equivalent to one at UoPeople or
can be transferred as an elective, it will be evaluated using the course name, description, and, if
needed, the syllabus. We look into each case with care to ensure that credits are from an accredited
institution, the student has received a grade of C or above in the course, and it is applicable to their
degree. We cannot guarantee that a student's application for transfer credits will be accepted, even
if the student has provided all necessary documentation. The purpose of the review process is to
ensure that the credits in question are indeed applicable to the degree program.

Will I get my documents back?

No, UoPeople will not be able to return any documents submitted to the Office of Transfer Credits
(or any other UoPeople department) while applying for a transfer credit(s).

What happens if my request is denied? Can I appeal?

If an application for transfer credits is denied, a student may email the Office of Transfer Credits
at [Link]@[Link]. It is then up to the Office of Transfer Credits whether to re-
evaluate their decision or not. If a student's application for transfer credits is re-evaluated by the
Office of Transfer Credits, it is not necessary to re-submit documentation, as the office will hold
onto all application materials after submission. The Office of Transfer Credits can only re-evaluate
their decision on an application once.

Will I need to submit a copy of the course syllabus?

When there is a doubt about the content of the transfer credit and its equivalency to UoPeople
courses you may be asked to submit a copy of the course syllabus.